Many communication switch and router systems architecture enable a service to be selected from a plurality of sources located on multiple shelves. Frequently master-slave arrangements may be used where a master controller provides resources to, or is accessed by, one of a plurality of slave devices. However, prior art systems lack a mechanism to provide a guaranteed bandwidth of access for each slave device to the master unit where there is significant amount of communication sent between the two entities in the switch. As such, in communication systems, for example, prior art master-slave systems, cannot provide maximum latency guarantees for transmissions therethrough. There is a farther need for a system which provides maximum latency guarantees where there are multiple shelves therein.
There is a need for a system and method providing minimum bandwidth access for multi-shelf systems that improves upon prior art systems.